GOD LOOKS FOR HIS MINISTERS

Rev. Fr. George Panackal V.C

Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor

If we are not willing to surrender our lives to God, we will unnecessarily waste our health and time. Our Father in heaven gives his revelations about Jesus to any person who opens his heart to God. As we go on accepting these revelations we become people who show Jesus to others or in other words, become his witnesses. God the Father wishes to fulfill the mission of Jesus through us. Let us wholeheartedly take up that great mission which Jesus has entrusted us. To some, Jesus gives complete healing as well as blessings as soon as they accept the call for Gospel mission. Dear friends in Jesus, it is when we accept the Gospel in our lives that our sufferings turn into blessings.

The sufferings of St. Paul helped in spreading the Gospel message to others. The suffering that a person faces in his life after knowing Jesus, truly helps in the spread of the Gospel. The good that is hidden behind our illness, sufferings and miseries become the revelations from Jesus. Therefore, when a person offers oneself for the proclamation of the Gospel, the whole objective of his life changes. Perhaps, the life of a person that has been self-centred or rooted in vested interests will turn out to be Christ- centred on setting aside one’s life for the Gospel mission.

“I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel" (Phil 1:12). I wish to share a great truth that lies behind the call for Gospel mission. In the initial days at Potta Ashram, when the daily prayer sessions had begun there, people came to Fr. Naikomparambil to pray over them and he used to write certain prayers and give it to them. One day Fr. Naikomparambil called me and said, "writing these prayers takes a lot of time, it would be good if we can print these prayers and give them." Then he suggested a person’s name and said, "this person would, if asked, bear the expenses for the printing." I was shocked when I heard the name he suggested because he was a total drunkard who was seen at the junction under the influence of liquor 24 hours of the day. After three weeks Father asked me whether I had asked him. "How do I ask a person who is not in his senses 24 hours?" I replied. He said, “Father, it is immaterial whether he is in his senses or not, God has called him and set aside his life for Gospel mission. Therefore ask him confidently."After a few days Fr. Naikomparambil told me, “If it is difficult don’t ask.” Then he suggested the name of another person. Again, I was stunned because he was an extremely stingy person!

One evening, a few days later, the person whose name was suggested initially, came to Potta Ashram with his daughter who was studying in the high school. His daughter had participated in some event, but lost. She was teased by her fellow students and this left her mentally shattered which led to the distortion of her face and twisting of her lips. They consulted a doctor but it was not cured. Hence, the father brought the daughter to Fr. Naikomparambil in the evening to pray over her. He was fully drunk. Somehow, he managed to say, 'Father, did you see my daughter’s face? Please pray for her'. Fr. replied, 'I will pray for her. Jesus will surely heal your daughter. But if you have to receive this healing you must serve God'. He promptly agreed ‘I will do whatever work assigned to me'. Father continued, ‘It is not the type of the work you think. To do this job you have to stop drinking'. He said, ‘Father, I will not drink.’ He said this because he already had the full quota of his drink for that day. After that father prayed over him. He prayed thus, ‘God, I do not know for what work you have called this person. Reveal to him his Gospel mission'. After this prayer his daughter was healed. Fr. did not pray for healing of his daughter nor did he pray over her. He prayed for the father and the daughter received healing. The next morning he came to the Ashram around 10 a.m to listen to the Word of God. He continued coming to the Ashram everyday for around one and half months. He attended a residential retreat and stopped consuming liquor completely. Besides, ,he has been helping me in every possible way ever since Divine Retreat Centre began. The one who was drunk 24 hours a day has now undergone a drastic change in behaviour.

God is not concerned about your past. He is concerned about what you are today. “Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing” (Isa 43:18). Once I was listening to the tearful story of a person who was a contractor of liquor shops. His only son, besides earning a lot of money in Kerala went to Karnataka to earn more against the advice of many. It was the call of Satan. While he was in Karnataka taking up a contract of a liquor shop he eloped with the We must know this. If we are not willing to surrender our lives to God we will unnecessarily waste our health and time. Once we understand the call of God, the nature of our life will begin to change.

Once I was listening to the tearful story of a person who was a contractor of liquor shops. His only son, besides earning a lot of money in Kerala went to Karnataka to earn more against the advice of many. It was the call of Satan. While he was in Karnataka taking up a contract of a liquor shop he eloped with t
daughter of the cook. What was the use of earning so much? For whom did he earn? Many are involved in this sort of work which finally serves no purpose. If we do not realize the Gospel mission in our lives, we will be sorry about it and feel disappointed later, because these do not bring joy and peace. By accepting the Gospel mission we become the recipients of the blessings that come with it. When the spirit of the Lord comes the husband and wife grow in the call which God has given them. They will also help each other to grow. On becoming parents, God’s spirit will give them strength to bring up their children in God’s grace. Besides, as a family, God blesses them to play a vital role in the building up of the church. All these are Gospel missions. God abundantly blesses those who find time to grow in Gospel missions like these.

We are the people or families chosen by God for his Gospel mission. We are entrusted with a great responsibility of sharing this Gospel message with the people we come across. Therefore this great call God has given us is a great blessing. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit. So, let us make a promise to abstain from vices such as liquor consumption or smoking. Keep aside for the Gospel mission the money which has already been spent for these vices or was kept aside for future. Not only those who drink constantly but also those who consume liquor occasionally should participate in this. The call for Gospel mission is the basic responsibility of every Christian.